Chapter 942
"This doesn't make sense."
Chu-so, who had been staring blankly into the air, furrowed his brow slightly and shook his head.
"Out of nowhere, the Bullet King's disciple—Seol-so?"
Bu Eun-seol, the Heir of the Demon Hall.
The fact that he couldn't predict the movements of Seon-u Jin, the Righteous Faction's rising Grandmaster, had been frustrating, but understandable.
Because at the time, the two of them were sweeping through the martial world side by side, amassing staggering achievements.
A carriage hurtling down a steep slope at breakneck speed cannot be easily stopped.
It is difficult to predict the actions and future of those who ride the tides of fortune, their momentum perfectly aligned with the times.
Because the luck of those who achieve such success is intertwined with the flow of Heaven's Will—an unpredictable force that could shift at any moment.
But how could a wandering martial artist, one who had neither great fame nor notable accomplishments, moving covertly through the martial world—
How could such a person defy the flow of Heaven's Will?
By what means could they detect and dismantle his secret organization?
"We've combed through everything, but his trail is inconsistent," Bang-il said cautiously.
"It's almost as if someone fabricated a double identity for him."
Even if one erased their tracks meticulously, a dedicated intelligence network could usually uncover traces of their past movements.
Yet no matter how much they investigated, they couldn't find any record of Seol-so's past.
Meaning either an extraordinary intelligence apparatus had perfectly concealed his history—
Or, more likely, he was a fabricated persona, a double identity belonging to someone of immense standing.
"If only we hadn't recklessly attacked the Martial Soul Lord earlier... We could have used Yang Seol-rin to dig into Seol-so's background."
Yang Seol-rin, blessed with the Heavenly Favor Star, possessed a mysterious ability—
Anyone who encountered her would inevitably reveal their true self before her.
Moreover, she was free to traverse the Rivers and Lakes unbound by the Yang Family's Restrictive Seal, making her an invaluable asset for deep investigations.
But Bang-il had impulsively proceeded with the assassination of the Martial Soul Lord, despite Chu-so's orders to halt.
As a result, the Martial Soul Lord, sensing something amiss, had given Yang Seol-rin an orb that allowed her to break free from all Mind-Ensnaring Arts.
In the end, she had escaped the grasp of Chu-so's Mind Seizing Great Art.
"Is there no way to subdue her again?"
At Bang-il's question, Chu-so shook his head.
"A shattered Mind Seizing Great Art is like broken porcelain. Piecing it back together is nearly impossible."
His voice was calm, but his gaze was razor-sharp.
The Yang Family had been operating an exceptional intelligence network to track the One Hundred and Eight Stars—
And Yang Seol-rin had been the linchpin of that operation.
Yet due to Bang-il's unilateral misjudgment, Chu-so had lost an invaluable pawn.
"I sincerely apologize!"
Bang-il prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"I swear on my life, I will find someone capable of filling the void she left behind."
"It's fine."
Chu-so's fierce gaze softened, and he waved a hand dismissively.
"I was just expressing regret, that's all."
Then he smiled at Bang-il.
"Regretting the past gains us nothing. As long as we learn from our mistakes and ensure they aren't repeated, that's enough."
Chu-so viewed everyone around him as pieces on a board.
Yet he always treated his subordinates with smooth, diplomatic courtesy—
As long as they still held value to him.
The leniency he showed Bang-il now... was not out of trust, but because Bang-il remained a useful asset.
"I will keep that in mind."
Oblivious to this truth, Bang-il bowed repeatedly, moved by Chu-so's magnanimity.
With another wave of his hand, Chu-so stroked his chin and murmured,
"In any case, there's definitely something amiss here. Even if he is the Bullet King's disciple, it makes no sense for a wandering martial artist to have no traceable history."
The two individuals he had failed to predict before had formidable intelligence networks behind them.
The Martial Soul Lord Bu Eun-seol had the Death Soul Squad, an elite intelligence unit, while Peak Leader Seon-u Jin commanded the small but elite special Information Warfare Unit of the Peak Leader's faction.
At one point, he had even wondered if Bu Eun-seol and Seon-u Jin were the same person.
But then the Dark King, Yeop Hyo-cheon—
had challenged both of them to a duel, and after witnessing it firsthand—
Chu-so had received confirmation that they were, without a doubt, separate individuals.
A man of Yeop Hyo-cheon's caliber would never misjudge the unique essence embedded in a martial artist's techniques.
And now... another unpredictable young figure had emerged.
"It seems we'll have to borrow someone else's hand for this matter," Chu-so said in a low voice.
"If a troublesome individual has been detected, they must be dealt with swiftly to avoid complications... And this would also be a good opportunity to test the strength of the connections we've been cultivating."
"Do we not need to investigate him further?"
At Bang-il's words, Chu-so hummed softly in response.
"There are no abrupt appearances without cause... You'll understand soon enough."
In the world he perceived, there were no coincidences.
What seemed like chance was in fact the inevitable unfolding of causality.
And Chu-so had the ability to trace those invisible causes and connections.
Once he did, even the future could be predicted.
Deep within an untrodden mountain range,
there lay a valley shrouded in darkness so thick it seemed to reject even the faintest glimmer of light.
And there, crouched in that abyss, was a superlative martial expert whose mere presence crushed the hearts of men with oppressive energy.
The place he occupied was where the energies of heaven and earth collided, distorting the very fabric of space itself—
an Absolute Forbidden Land, where no mortal could tread.
Yet a shadow was making its way into the depths of that valley.
His body stretched and shrank repeatedly under the warped space,
but he paid it no mind, advancing with steady, indifferent steps.
At last, deep within the gorge, a massive gate came into view.
The gate was built of small stones,
but upon closer inspection, each one was inscribed with ancient sorcery and strange emblems.
The shadow stood motionless before it, as still as a statue.
How much time passed?
The emblems on the gate began to glow with a faint crimson light, distorting the surrounding space,
while a dense fog rose from the ground.
Creeeak.
Before long, the gate opened, and the shadow stepped inside.
The moment he entered, the thick fog swallowed his sense of direction,
and somewhere, the whispering wind carried a sound like the murmurs of demons.
Yet the shadow moved forward effortlessly, parting the mist as if it were nothing.
When he finally emerged, a vast space lay before him, drowned in pitch-black darkness.
There was a great pond, surrounded by countless stone statues.
Upon closer inspection, each statue bore the face of a person frozen in expressions of despair and terror.
Beyond them, deeper within, stood a half-crumbled structure resembling a temple.
Inside, where the interior was fully exposed, stood an altar-like platform,
upon which rested a throne wrapped in black silk.
There, a massive figure clad in black armor sat in a crooked posture, chin resting on his hand.
It was the Black Divine Heavenly Lord.
[What brings you here?]
Noticing the shadow standing resolutely before the altar, the Black Divine Heavenly Lord snorted.
[The ever-busy Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, no less.]
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
The black shadow was the leader of the Eight Heavenly Servants, who had relentlessly conducted grotesque experiments on humans for the True Demon.
He had also bred his own clones—other Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts—to sow chaos in the martial world.
"Divine Lord."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast maintained his shadow-like form as he bowed respectfully.
His deeds and appearance were shrouded in such mystery that even his fellow familiars knew little of him.
Above all, he enjoyed the True Demon's deepest trust.
The True Demon had been able to secretly dominate the martial world through countless cycles of reincarnation—largely due to Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's immense contributions.
Moreover, he was currently conducting an experiment of utmost importance under the True Demon's orders,
placing his authority and status on par with even the Four Divine Heavenly Lords.
"I heard you let a mere whelp slip away."
Though his voice clearly originated from a physical throat,
it carried a bubbling distortion, as though he were speaking underwater.
[I didn't let him slip. A Restrictive Seal prevented me from exerting my full power.]
"Shall I capture him for you?"
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast continued in a voice devoid of inflection.
"If the Divine Lord permits, I would like to track him down myself."
His tone was exceedingly polite, yet the sound of bursting water droplets mixed within made it eerily grotesque.
[You've grown fond of collecting others' powers, it seems.]
"Everything is for His sake, is it not?"
The bubbling in Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's voice grew more pronounced.
But the Black Divine Heavenly Lord showed no reaction.
"If you refuse, then so be it."
Just as he slowly turned to leave—
Whoosh.
In that instant, black-tinged flames flickered to life across Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's body.
The Black Divine Heavenly Lord had infused him with some manner of power.
"Thank you for your permission."
[Do you find it amusing?]
The Black Divine Heavenly Lord's words carried profound meaning.
[Twisting providence and warping the melodies of fate.]
When Neither-Human-Nor-Beast didn't answer, a strange light flickered in the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's eyes.
[You'd best be cautious. I recently found a fake wielding the power of the Baekri Clan and intended to deliver him to you...]
"..."
["That was none other than the Dharma Arts of the Six Paths Severing Shadows."]
"It must have been Heavenly Mechanism Star."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast nodded slightly.
"He must still be struggling to obtain the power of the Sacred Realm, which harnesses spiritual energy."
[I care not what it is.]
The Black Divine Heavenly Lord snorted.
[But from now on, it would be wise to refrain from revealing yourself in the Martial World. The three elders seem displeased.]
"Understood."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast bowed lightly.
"Then."
As he turned, his physical form blurred slightly with each step.
By the fifth step—
Shururuk.
His figure vanished completely from the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's sight.
Having perfectly concluded matters at Grace House, Bu Eun-seol returned to the Demon Hall in his capacity as the Martial Soul Lord.
Now, his foremost priority was uncovering the nature of the power embedded in his palm like a Fire Brand.
If it was something Heavenly Mechanism Star coveted... then it must hold immense utility.
He meticulously recorded the patterns resembling those engraved on the scabbard of the Ink Soul Sword onto paper.
Afterward, he scoured not only the Demon Hall's archives but also countless ancient texts scattered throughout the Murim.
Yet, he found nothing—not even the erudite head of the Medicine King Faction knew anything.
The man was ignorant not only of the origin of the emblem on his shoulder but even of the Ancient Sword Forest itself.
'Even if the head of the Myriad Learning Society knows, he won't tell me.'
Baek Jeon-cheon, renowned for knowing everything, surely had knowledge of the Ancient Sword Forest.
But unless it served the grand ambition of establishing the Demonic Martial World, he would never lift a finger to help.
'In any case, this matter concerns only me...'
The boy who had once been the young master of the Ancient Sword Forest in Hyungsan had said that, in time, clues would reveal themselves one by one.
'Don't expect to uncover answers through someone else's aid.'
However, the origin of the power passed down by the Ancient Sword Forest's master—
And the force suppressing his Brain Gate Acupoint—these were things he needed to understand definitively.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol sequestered himself in his office and began researching the emblem and its power alone.
'Under normal circumstances, no matter what I do, it doesn't manifest.'
The emblem on his palm remained invisible most of the time.
Nor could he discern the principle or natural order behind why such power manifested in his right eye—or what its function even was.
'Moreover, this power isn't meant for killing enemies.'
According to the Founder of the Ancient Sword Forest,
This power was not for defeating foes but for finding something.
'Could it be... a power to locate the True Demon?'
The True Demon cycled through reincarnation and undoubtedly existed in the present world, yet no one could trace his whereabouts or remnants.
'The successors of the Ancient Sword Forest have inherited the Founder's decree to control the True Demon across generations... It's possible.'
The issue was that the moment this power, conveyed through the Ancient Sword Forest master's message, was infused into him, it clashed with the force of his Brain Gate Acupoint.
Now, it had merged with the energy sealing his Brain Gate Acupoint, as if blending with his Original True Qi.
'Is it a matter of my spirit and mind?'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
Within him existed another persona—Baekri Geom-ha.
He held memories Bu Eun-seol could not reclaim,
And wielded powers Bu Eun-seol could not use, their origins unknown.
Perhaps his very existence was not unrelated to the energy sealing the Brain Gate Acupoint.
'If that power is connected to my spirit and mind...'
If the force suppressing his Brain Gate Acupoint was not merely a physical constraint but linked to his spirit—
If it was sealed because of that—
Then by contemplating his inner self, he might uncover a clue.
Grrr...
Having settled his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol entered a secret chamber connected to his office.
Sitting in the lotus position, he deployed the Inner Observation technique to scrutinize his spirit and mind with precision.
Thanks to his profound internal energy and disciplined spiritual cultivation, he entered a meditative trance almost instantly.
Krrrr...
His consciousness descended into an abyss of endless darkness.
Since ancient times, the grandmasters of martial arts
Had always sought to examine and freely control their own spirits and minds.
But the human heart was akin to nature itself—
Warm sunlight and gentle breezes could shift into raging storms and thunderbolts without warning.
For a human to perfectly govern a spirit and mind so deeply resembling the Great Nature was impossible.
And should one plunge their consciousness too deep into the abyss in pursuit of this... they would inevitably defy the laws of nature.
The consequence?
Body and Spirit Annihilation.
The flesh would perish, and the soul would plunge into an abyss from which it could never return.
For this reason, the greatest philosophers and grandmasters of old
Never directly moved their consciousness into the depths of the abyss.
Instead, they devised methods to move portions of the mind—like muscles in the body—controllable by will.
Through these, they governed both spirit and flesh.
These methods branched into numerous paths, ultimately giving birth to Internal Energy Methods and the Mind Seizing Secret Art.
'Limitlessly deep.'
Bu Eun-seol had forgotten this truth as he sent his consciousness plunging into the endlessly deep Abyss.
Deeper, and deeper still he descended, until a mysterious light appeared in the distance.
It was the very same pattern as the emblem that had manifested on his palm.
'As I thought—it was the Spirit and Mind.'
The power the Ancient Sword Forest's master had imparted was not sealed within his physical body, but within his Spirit and Mind.
Bubbling, bubbling.
The light seemed close, yet the distance remaining was vast.
To reach it, he had to go even deeper.
His consciousness descended endlessly toward the source of that light—identical to the emblem on his shoulder—until finally, he reached the bottom.
A strange resonance spread through his entire body.
It felt foreign, yet...
as if a powerful Supernatural Ability was being engraved into his very being.
That mysterious force that had allowed him to escape when the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's black gods had engulfed him—
this was the power contained within the emblem... and it had been sealed within the unfathomable depths of his consciousness.
'In the end, it's similar to the One Hundred and Eight Stars—an innate Supernatural Ability.'
A bitter thought suddenly arose.
Until now, he had trained solely in Martial Arts, always overcoming his enemies with that strength alone.
He had never considered himself to possess a Supernatural Ability, nor had he ever desired one.
Because power that could not be grasped...
was power that could just as easily destroy him.
—Power that cannot be controlled is forbidden!
This was why the Martial World condemned Sorcery—
that is, Supernatural Abilities—for one reason alone:
Too often, those who wielded such power could not control it.
Martial Arts could be precisely understood—how it manifested, how it functioned.
To train in Martial Arts was, in essence,
to train in the process of mastering and controlling it.
But a Supernatural Ability was different.
Its origins were unknown, and because it was directly linked to an incomplete Spirit and Mind,
it could slip beyond the user's control at any moment.
And losing control meant...
innocent, unsuspecting people could be harmed.
This was why Martial Artists shunned and rejected Supernatural Abilities and the Art of Spells.
'If this truly is a Supernatural Ability, then there's no need to study it.'
A Supernatural Ability could distort the essence of Martial Arts.
Growing accustomed to easily manifested power would only hinder his development in Martial Arts.
Hadn't the One Hundred and Eight Stars—who had always wielded such mysterious power—fallen to him precisely because...
in the end, they had failed to break free from their power's restrictions or control it perfectly?
'I should return.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol prepared to end his meditation—
[It's been a while.]
A strange reverberation began to spread through his mind.
Simultaneously, from the entrance of the emblem within the Abyss...
a beautiful boy clad in white slowly emerged, stepping through the light as his form gradually became visible.
The one who called himself Baekri Geom-ha—
the personality that had been sucked into the vast gap within his Spirit and Mind—had reappeared.
"This place is..."
[My Spirit and Mind.]
Baekri Geom-ha cut him off coldly.
[That's why I can appear like this again.]
He had grown slightly while trapped within the Abyss.
His voice was still sharp, and his features remained boyish,
but unlike before, his gaze held a certain maturity, and he seemed a little taller.
"You seem to have grown a bit."
When Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly, Baekri Geom-ha's face twisted.
[It's not growth—it's because I was buried in your pitiful, insignificant memories!]
After his grandfather had been brutally murdered by the culprit, a great void had formed in Bu Eun-seol's heart.
And within that void, Baekri Geom-ha's personality had been imprisoned... where he had apparently been forced to confront Bu Eun-seol's memories.
[If you're so desperate for revenge, stop whining and take my hand.]
Baekri Geom-ha spoke irritably.
[You don't stand a chance with your own strength.]
Bu Eun-seol smiled.
Had this been Baekri Geom-ha's original Personality, he would have mocked him for clinging to his grandfather's revenge.
But perhaps because he had been somewhat assimilated by Bu Eun-seol's memories, he was now offering to carry out that revenge himself.
"You can't."
[Why not?]
"Because I won't let innocent people get hurt just so you can avenge Grandfather."
Baekri Geom-ha was not only impossible to read in terms of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure—he also cared nothing for the Emotions of others.
He possessed every trait of a Great Demon.
Entrusting revenge to him might succeed, but everyone around them would be harmed or driven away.
[Then you go in too.]
Baekri Geom-ha slowly approached, his gaze sharp and piercing.
[That way, it's fair.]
Bu Eun-seol felt a chill.
Had a gap—deep as the Abyss itself—formed behind him without him realizing?
It was identical in size and shape to the great void in his Spirit and Mind, created by his grandfather's death.
'Then...'
His spine turned icy.
Baekri Geom-ha also had the same unfillable void within him.
Which meant... he was likely not a completely separate Personality, but one who shared the same Fate.
Just like... the True Demon and the master of the Ancient Sword Forest.